Red Wings players discuss 2025-26 campaign, head into offseason motivated by ‘difficult end’

DETROIT – On Friday morning, just two days after playing their final game of the 2025-26 campaign -- one that ended far earlier than they had envisioned -- the Detroit Red Wings players cleared out their stalls and took questions from the media at Little Caesars Arena.

“I think it’s been a very difficult end to the season,” Detroit captain Dylan Larkin admitted. “Never a fun time when you miss the playoffs, but especially in this fashion, and kind of being here again. So, today isn’t a pleasant day around the rink, that’s for sure.”

The Red Wings went 32-16-5 (69 points) through their first 53 games, waking up on Jan. 25 tied with the Carolina Hurricanes atop the Eastern Conference and in first place in the Atlantic Division. But they skidded down the stretch, going 9-15-5 (23 points) over their final 29 and finishing seven points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second Wild-Card spot.

“Overall, I think we played good hockey for three-fourths of the season,” Alex DeBrincat said. “We put ourselves in a great spot, had confidence, came to the rink ready to play and confident we could beat any team in the League for a long time there, and that kind of slipped. I don’t know exactly when it slipped or what happened, but then you see the mental side of the game come in. We feel defeated, and you can see it. I think we need to find a way to work hard every game.”

On paper, yes, Detroit finished with 41 wins for the second time in the past three seasons, recorded its most points (92) in a single campaign since 2015-16 and saw both individual skaters and the overall group make statistical improvements. However, this squad entered the year with bigger expectations than just making those gains, so the stinging feeling of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs outweighs everything else.

“Once again, we were close and kind of sitting here talking about the same stuff every year,” Moritz Seider said. “In the end, the answer is pretty simple: We just got to be better as a team and as individuals. We got to put in the work in the summer and hopefully everyone is thinking the same thing that I’m saying right now. And then, we can become a better hockey team.”

A handful of factors contributed to the Red Wings falling short of their postseason goal, including injuries to key players, late leads lost down the stretch and not generating enough 5-on-5 offense over the course of an 82-game slate.

“At the end of the year, you try to look back and see things that maybe we could’ve done better here or there,” Patrick Kane said. “There were some games that we kind of gave away. A handful of games where we should’ve gotten points or more than we actually did. You try to look at everything, but I think the biggest thing is probably looking in the mirror, looking at yourself. What can you bring more of to be competitive?”

Especially as play became more physical and defensive following the NHL’s Olympic break, Lucas Raymond said he felt part of Detroit’s offensive struggles came down to mentality.

“We’ve had a lot of success as a team scoring when we’re shooting the puck and we’re getting 30, 40 shots,” Raymond said. “I think that creates a lot of momentum within our game. Not just scoring-wise, but just playing O-zone and creating off of it. That’s a big part, and one part that you got to be reminded of. Talking about March, it comes and it tightens up. I think it’s natural that everyone plays it a little more safe. I wouldn’t say risks, but you’re get away from that game a little bit.”

But there are reasons to believe a better outcome awaits the Red Wings in 2026-27. Just ask Justin Faulk, who was acquired by Detroit via trade from the St. Louis Blues on March 6.

“I think there’s a lot of talent here,” Faulk said. “There are some really, really good hockey players in that group. And young too, which is even more exciting because you know there’s room to grow and there’s potential for more. That excites me and gives me belief that this group is really close to getting over that hump. Like I said, when you get close, you just have to keep getting more, asking more from each other and demanding more to push yourself over that hump. And then things can start to snowball. Whatever that hump is, not even just hockey, there’s always that period when you feel like it’s the hardest and then once you get there it starts to go, but that’s when you have to push each other the most.”

Even so, this wasn’t how this group wanted to spend mid-April. That’s why it’s about wanting to use this experience as fuel and putting in the extra work this summer to ensure there will be a better feeling at the end of next season.

“No one wants to be here,” Simon Edvinsson said. “I feel like everybody’s done being here. It’s the worst feeling you have, not going to the playoffs, and you know you’re so close. Everybody works so hard, but we still don’t get it done. We really need to figure that out…I know that everybody really wanted to make the playoffs and have a run, but we’re not there and we need to really find something in our group, find something in the organization, find something within the team to really take us past that step.”